Enough: Acacia Julianne Orton
by mickeysgirl90
Summary: He always seemed to have that sharp, frightening characteristic to him. Everyone thought that the Legend Killer had left his kayfabe personality in the twenty-by-twenty box known as the WWE wrestling ring. I grew to know better. Warning: Abuse
1. Acacia & Mia

_**A/N: Just a new thing that I got this burning inspiration for the other day. I pressed pen to paper and so far it's fleshing out nicely. Hoping I can make something big out of it. Let me know your thoughts!**_

**Disclaimer: Based loosely on the movie "Enough". I do not own any WWE characters or the amazing Randal Keith Orton.**

Randy was fuming the night I had made up my mind to leave. I had taken enough shit from him. He had emotionally and mentally abused me, yet had never allowed himself to the breaking point to where he inflicted physical damage on me. I had to thank him somewhat for that. Part of me loved him and couldn't let go, and another half of me hated who he had become and wanted to leave it in the past.

The air outside was humid and dry; buckets on rain pouring onto the North Carolinian soil. It was nearing the end of the arid summer season and WWE Raw had released Randy to go on leave. He would be coming home today.

I mentally kicked myself for wasting all of this time. This valuable time that I could've left the house with our daughter and possibly fled the country. There was a stronghold on me that stopped me from leaving every time I had packed a suitcase. With much rebuttal from the angel and demon on my shoulders, my last minute choice was to let my daughter, Mia, go. It would give me an opportunity to deal with the Viper, himself.

"Mommy, where are we going?" Mia six year old inquisitive voice sounded. I was stuffing everything that I could find, that was Mia's, into her baby blue suitcase at an inhuman speed. I didn't even bother to fold anything like I usually would. I glanced at the Winnie the Pooh analog clock on the wall above her bed. The minute hand was nearing the nine which would read _"10:45"_. Randy's arrival time.

I took a moment to look up at her from my kneeling position. She had grown to look so much like her father. Her icy blue irises were an eerie carbon copy of Randy's. The only difference seemed to be her caramel skin tone, which was slightly darker than Randy's tan one.

A horn impatiently sounded from outside. It was my sister's Honda Acura TL. I cleared my tightened throat to answer Mia.

"You've gotta stay at your Aunt Nelly's for a couple of days while I clean up a couple of things here with Daddy." I responded, gently. I hoisted her onto my waist, dragging her suitcase behind me, grudgingly. I was trying to make this quick. Randy never showed up late. _Ever._ I rushed out into the pouring rain and opened the back door of the purring car. I began to buckle her in.

"Amelia, I want you to listen to whatever your Aunt says. No backtalk and no difficulties, baby. Okay?" I clarified holding back tears. I left the suitcase on the available space next to where she was sitting.

"But mommy—I wanna stay..." She resisted her safety belts and attempted to wriggle out of her booster seat. I looked into the rearview mirror and she gave me a meaningful look. I knew that she would take care of Mia as if she was one of her own.

"I love you." I ran a shaky hand through her thick, knotty curls and kissed her forehead, despite her complaints. I pulled away from her and closed the door, letting the rain pelt my hair. I watched as the vehicle's wheels tore into the pavement and I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip. The taillights evaporated into the suburban darkness.

A/N: Review! I know its rough, but I had to flesh it out. Let me know if it's any good. There may be a few grammatical errors, I apologize in advance..I typed it fast, so my computer wouldn't crash on me. Enjoy!


	2. Randy

**A/N: The name "Acacia" is pronounced "Uh-case-ee-yuh".**

Randy had hailed a cab from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport about twenty minutes ago. The second his foot reached the dry carpet of the yellow Toyota, he got into kayfabe character. You never knew who was a wrestling fan and if he ended up clearing the illusion, Vince would have his head.

"Three-fifty for the first mile, a dollar for each additional mile," A definite Southern twang laced the voice of the heavy-set male individual. Randy nodded and gave the man his address and the starter payment of three-fifty. The cab smelled of cigarettes and a cheap vanilla air-freshener. Randy tried to hide his grimace at the stench and climbed in.

The beginning of the ride was uncomfortable. Randy's lanky, yet built six foot, and then some frame didn't fit quite properly in the taxicab. "_Definitely made for people of an average height," _ Randy thought to himself. He glanced out the window and silently cursed to himself as the taxi seemed to get pelted by rain. It was getting heavier as they left the Metro area of Charlotte.

He flexed his long legs off to the other end of the floor and found the most comfortable position, no matter how awkward it may have looked. Randy didn't bother to greet anyone. He wasn't in the mood for Southern hospitality small talk. Well, that was the opposite for the driver.

"You know, I was an amateur OVW wrestler back in the eighties." Was the driver's opening statement. Randy fought with his nervous system so that he would refrain from rolling his eyes. Why did everyone think that he always wanted to talk about wrestling? That was his job; who wanted to talk about their job all the time?

"Really." The word left Randy's lips as a flat statement other than the intended question.

"Yes, sir." The elder seemed pleased that he had gotten some reaction from the Apex Predator. "They called me 'The Punisher',"

"How original." Randy grumbled softy knowing that the man couldn't hear him. No one could hear Randy when he sunk his voice into the bass octaves. Well, that is except for one person.

_SEVEN YEARS AGO. APRIL 25, 2003._

_A twenty-three year old Randy Orton and a newly aged twenty-six year old John sat at two barstools in a dimly lit sports bar. They were celebrating the one year anniversary of Randy's debut on WWE with a couple of beers and an intense Giants/Patriots matchup. Randy was never too big of a football fan, but he respected his best friend's hobbies. If that included, sitting on steel barstools, listening to John's slightly slurred outbursts of profanity, then he would have to endure. _

"_Come AHN Pats!"_

"_What the fuck was that, buttafingas?"_

"_SHIT. I can't. I can't do this. I can't fucking do this. This guy has been flingin' interceptions all night."_

_Randy laughed as his slightly intoxicated buddy's stress level rose. Whenever John was upset or drunk (in this case, both), his Massachusetts' accent would make an appearance. Randy looked around to see if the acquaintances he made earlier were as into the game as John was. His eyes landed on a beautiful woman. _

_She couldn't have been more than college-aged. Her chocolaty bronze skin glowed under the unhealthy lights of the pub. Her Chamoisee skin glowed with no obvious flaw and she had big, brown almond shaped eyes that he was captivated by from afar. Her long-flowing onyx hair was intricately French braided and it ended at the small of her back. An African-Indian woman. She held a lager beer in her right hand while staring at the LCD TV screen with a look of pure passion for her team. _

_The Giants scored another touchdown and a slight smile crossed her full lips. A giants fan; the enemy (according to John). Randy nudged John slightly and John's eyes glazed over to where Randy's had settled. _

"_Whoa." John commended in a gruff voice. "Nice."_

_She had left her area and came over to the bar to order another drink._

"_I'm sorry; can I have a shot of Uncle Jack? This lager isn't doing it for me." Her alto voice chirped pleasantly. She was obviously in the mood to celebrate the Giant's halftime victory._

"_She can down Jack Daniels? That little body?" Randy's voice dropped to the bass level to where he knew that only John could hear him. Not the five-foot-five beauty about four feet away from him. She turned and gave him an icy look. One that shocked the daylights out of him._

"_Yes, 'this little body' can down Jack Daniels, Smirnoff, and Everclear in one serving." She made her point, eyes darting between John and Randy. "Stupid Pats fans…" She muttered before turning to accept her drink from the bartender._

"_Dude. She heard you." John's baby blue's widened. "She fucking heard you. No one hears you." _

"_I think I'm in love." Randy's look of shock was replaced with one of desire. He was smitten._

_END FLASHBACK_

Acacia Orton was the only person who was able to hear Randy and still is. Randy's stomach churned as he thought of her. Recently, she had just become a pawn in the huge game he was playing with her. She was full of zeal. She was confident and inquisitive. Nothing got past her. He had cheated on her, multiple times. Each time, he got a tongue lashing, they would fight and Amelia would cry. It was an ongoing pattern that made him more powerful every time.

Randy's thought were interrupted by the halting of the cab in front of his well-sized family ranch house. It wasn't his home. The road was his home. He thanked the driver, dryly, and pulled his luggage out of the car. He paid the fair and closed the door heading into the drenching precipitation. Up the cobblestone path he went thinking about how much time Acacia and Amelia spent on making the path when she found out that his childhood home in Knoxville had the same pathway. His Mia. He couldn't wait to scoop his Mia up into his arms. His steps sloshed in the large puddles and the cuffs of his jeans damped.

He reached into his wet pocket, pulling out his keychain and stuck the house key into the doorknob. As the door opened, he was welcomed with the warmth of the fireplace. But, in a way it felt cold and empty in spirit. Somehow he knew something—someone was missing.

**A/N: Let me know what you think!**


	3. Acacia

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews and taking the time to read this! I really hope you enjoy this chapter.

I was in the bathroom, freshening up, when I heard the front door creak open. The security system sounded, letting the house's inhabitants know that someone had opened the door. The bathroom was still humid from the shower that I had just taken. I wiped the middle of the mirror and did a one-over of myself.

"You look fine…" I said to myself, while sliding a canary yellow night dress over my body. It tended to give my skin a bronzed color and Randy adored it the first time I had ever put it on.

"Mia?" I heard Randy's voice down the hallway. I tensed at the sound. He was looking for his daughter. I ran my fingers through my hair, separating strands, and hurried out of the bathroom to meet my estranged husband. He called Mia's name about half a dozen more times; each time his voice rose in rage.

I thought about the decision that I was about to make for a second. There would be no turning back after this. I shook my head of anything that told me not to do this and finally emerged from the safe quarters known as my bedroom. I headed down the golden lit hallway and made a right into the living area.

"Randy!" I put on a plastered smile, walking toward him. The man looked like a Grecian statuette. The way his form towered over mine by about a foot and a half; how his shirt clung to his skin outlining muscle; how his steel eyes would pierce my soul. He frightened, yet captivated me.

I balanced myself on the tips of my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck. His shirt felt damp and his body felt stiff. I inhaled his unique strong pheromone scent. For once, it wasn't mixed with another woman's perfume. Randy didn't hug back. Instead, he pried me off him and pushed me back on the balls of my feet.

"Where is my daughter?" He seethed, his eyes darkening. He looked through me and I involuntarily shook. His hefty, intimidating, six-foot-four frame casted an eerie shadow over me. I licked my dried lips and swallowed.

"She's with family." I tried to sound musical and dismissive. If I had it my way, Randy wouldn't see Mia after tonight. I mustered the strength to look back into his intense gaze. I had planned everything that would go down on this night. I lifted the hem of his shirt and grazed my hand against the muscle that lined his abdomen. "So we can spend some time together."

Randy was unaffected. Women tried to seduce him everyday and I knew that. He had built up a wall to this kind of temptation. Randy teeth locked together, audibly, and his jaw set. Just looking at him, you could see that a monster resided underneath his extraordinary exterior. He began this inhuman growling and muttering under his breath. My first instinct was to ask if he was alright, but I kept my mouth closed. Surprisingly, he huffed out a sinister laugh.

"You're so selfish...you know that?" His voice raised an octave as he looked at the hardwood floor under us. _I_ was the selfish one? My eyebrows furrowed and before I could start a protesting statement, he spun on his heel, heading to Mia's locked door. The sound of a jiggled doorknob and a broken lock signaled that Randy had accessed the room.

"…fucking lock my doors…this house belongs to me…" I picked up pieces of his angry muttering. I braced myself for the wave of fury that I would feel when he discovered her empty closet and drawers.

"What the hell?" His tone rose on every word. "Acacia!" The siding on the house vibrated. I covered the whimper that almost escaped from my lips when he looked out of the room. I wished that he was looking at something behind me, that I was invisible.

"_You are such a bitch_." He enunciated every letter of each word. Furious heat waves tore through his body, shaking it violently. His words were sharp. It was then that I realized that I wasn't breathing. I coughed out a breath and looked at him incredulously.

"For keeping my daughter from being exposed to the heel that you've become?" I responded, squeakily. I couldn't believe how he could stand there and act like he had done nothing wrong. Tears brimmed as my mind flashbacked to who he once was.

He was an amazing man who had no flaw in the eyes of his fans. A mature individual who knew when enough was enough, but was never frightened by the idea of letting loose. The hopeless romantic who wanted nothing less of extravagant for when he proposed to me in France. The man whose crystalline orbs misted as he repeated his vows to me. The proud and joyous father that he had become when Mia was brought into the world. That man no longer occupied the hollow shell before me.

I vanished into the kitchen, him on my heels, determined to receive the whereabouts of Mia.

"I'm not done with you." He solemnly stated, gripping my forearm. A stinging pain shot through my arm as I spun around to face him. I winced, sucking in a jagged breath and batted his hand away. I continued to the island counter in the middle of our kitchen where a weighted stack of papers lay. I picked them up gently.

"Well," My vocal chords were gravelly. "I'm done with _you_." I pressed the papers into his chest. His eyes glanced at me before taking the papers. He scanned over the words before a vindictive, heinous grin replaced his scowl.

"Filing for separation." He had a light character to his voice which angered me. "You wanna divorce me?" A corner of his lips rose. I didn't justify that with a rebuttal. I held my composure and stood my ground. The coming moments would take an iniquitous turn.


	4. Wrong Move

**A/N: You guys have no idea how happy your reviews make me. They really do inspire me to write. When I first started writing this story in one of my notebooks (which is how I write all of my stories), I was about to discontinue this story after about three chapters. I didn't have a muse nor did I desire to continue this. So, thanks again for pushing me back onto this project. Anyway, on with crazy Randy!**

_WARNING: This chapter contains violence and implied rape. If you do not feel comfortable with the topics aforementioned, I suggest you find another suitable story. _

THIRD PERSON POV

Randy Orton, the WWE character, had anger problems. What most people didn't know was that Randy Orton, the husband and father, had anger issues that made the Viper seem amiable.

He masked his boiling anger with a twisted smile. A smile that didn't belong his current thoughts. Hot flames licked at his skin and he crumbled the thick packet of papers in his too-big hand. His erroneous thoughts took all sense of control from him. The simper that adorned his face disappeared. Acacia's innocent chocolate eyes widened.

"Randy?"

Not a full moment passed before an open hand connected with the side of Acacia's face with an audible thwack. She stumbled from the intensity of the blow and placed a cold hand to her stinging cheek. It took few seconds to register what had just taken place. Many times she had heard about domestic violence, but never thought that it would ever happen to her. The impact of the hit broke the strong barrier of tears that threatened to fall. The look that crossed her face matched Randy's scrutiny of abhorrence.

"Randy!" She exclaimed, breathlessly, unable to say anything else. Without missing a beat, Randy wrapped his fingers around her exposed throat, pressing her back against the olive drab wall.

"You think you can take my daughter away from me?" He pressed harder, mercilessly.

"Are you sure you wanna leave me?" He disregarded the pained gaze that Acacia was giving him. Her fingers reached up to his, instinctively, although she knew she was no match for him.

"Huh?" He bared his teeth. It was that time that Randy had looked like a demon had overtaken him. Tears now flowed freely from Acacia's eyes. Panicking, her breathing rapidly increased as she took as much as she could from the air around her. She honestly believed that she was going to end up lifeless on her own kitchen floor. Death seemed to be euphoric compared to this horrendous nightmare.

"Randy…please…" She rasped, her fingers desperately trying to pry Randy's off her trachea. Randy began to feel her energy-filled struggles subsiding, showing an obvious decrease in consciousness. He finally let go. His eyes followed her tired body as she sunk to the cool, tile flooring, grasping her throat. She looked pitiful and worn and her breaths kept a quick, yet metronomic beat. Randy didn't feel satisfied at all. He wanted her to feel all she could feel without having her succumb to death. He looked down at her, not feeling a smidge of remorse. She had laid the side of her head onto the wall, knees curled up against her chest, sobbing.

"Get up." He spat, disgustedly. She didn't question him once, in fear for her life. Instead, she obeyed his orders, nearly stumbling to the floor again. He watched her carefully.

"I'll give you something to cry about," He smashed his knuckle into her cheek, right by her lip. She felt a brand-new trickle of blood start from the crack that he had just made.

"Go to the bedroom." He commanded. Acacia began the silent trudge to her mental and moral demise. She could understand how he would feel hurt about her decision to take Mia and her request for separation. What she didn't understand his how he could possibly put his hands on her. He had promised her that safety and wellness came with being with him. At that thought, a fresh fountain of tears was conjured up.

She walked down the corridor, glancing at photo frames symmetrically hanging on the walls; Photos that only showed a distant memory.

A timeless black and white piece of art that captured their intimacy was first. It was Randy's favorite. It showed a photo of her and Randy holding each other closely during the reception following their wedding ceremony. She remembered how Randy had whispered sweet promises to her; Promises that were broken.

In the next photo-op, the Eiffel Tower in the background set the occasion. Randy had proposed to Acacia and moments following, he had another tourist take their camera and zoom in to a tight shot on their euphoric faces. He stole a playful kiss from her cheek at the last moment.

Acacia wondered where that man had gone. She knew the photo that was coming all too well. She didn't bother to look. The year was 2007 and Randy had won the WWE Championship for the third time. He had a three year old Mia hoisted on his shoulders and she was proudly raising the championship belt above her head. Randy smirked his signature Randy Orton smirk at the lens of the camera.

Randy looked repulsed at the pictures. They reminded him of the life that he once had and would never have again. He pushed Acacia into the bedroom and slammed the door behind them.

"You got all dolled up for me," He raised an eyebrow at her. The words snarled from his vocal chords. She didn't respond, but only wrapped her arms around herself. He sauntered over to her and trailed his fingers down her exposed arm. She recoiled from his touch and shuddered.

"Giving me the silent treatment?" He cocked his head to the side and titled her chin upward to look at him. His anger simmered and was replaced with a devious characteristic. She slapped his hand away, regaining backbone.

"I have nothing to say to you." An unfamiliar trait managed to stain her tone. Hatred. Randy, again, tried to touch her. He caressed her cheek, smiling at the puffy reddening skin. He appeared proud of his handiwork. She suppressed bile rising in her burning throat. He stepped closer to her and lowered his head to where it was a few inches above her lips. His breath lingered over her lips and she looked at him hard. Before he could make any contact with her, she swiftly raised her hand to his face, slapping the smirk to the ground.

There was barely any reaction time for Randy. Acacia knew what she had done, but couldn't believe that she had done it. He furrowed his eyebrows as if what had just happened was only a figment of his imagination. _Wrong move_, his eyes said to her. _My turn._

**A/N: Let me know what you think…I had a hard time with this chapter for some reason. I didn't know how to begin it and I didn't know how to end it. I don't like writing any graphic NONCON scenes. I'll put it this way: I don't write about the act of sex; I write about the act of "making love". So I kind of left it there. Hate me if you will. I can't write that stuff without being uncomfortable and I didn't deem it necessary for this chapter…Okay, I'm rambling. Review!**


	5. The Morning After

**A/N: Hey guys. Thanks for sticking with me. I sincerely apologize for the wait. This is a filler, not my best work at all, but I had to get it out. I try to update every other day, but my schedule didn't allow me to the past week. Homework, making short films, screening short films, more homework and getting to see Mickey! **** Thank you so much for your patience. I hope to get another chapter up tomorrow, because this was just me rushing so I could do **_**more**_** homework… Well, this chapter goes more on the background of Randy and Acacia's relationship which some of you were asking about.**

The sun from the hot afternoon beat down on my sore skin through the large bay window by the bed. I wasn't able to sleep at all the past twelve hours. I just silently stared at the ceiling while Randy enjoyed his trip to his subconscious. I wondered how he was able to sleep after what he had done. He had violated me; something he promised he would never _ever_ do. I was a fool to believe what the old Randy said after he had changed.

I found myself blinking and letting fresh tears fall. I secured my arms across my chest, covered with the comforter, afraid to move. Randy wasn't always like this. He really wasn't. He was a loving husband and father. He had always hated being on the road. Every day that he was away from Mia and me, I could literally feel his heart breaking. That was just the kind of person Randy was and that was the bond we had.

As he boarded jets to different cities, he would text me. As he exited the same jets on arrival, he would call. Right before shows, he would call just to make sure that Mia and I were watching RAW. He never went to bed without checking in to see if we had seen him botch the "RKO" or oversell John's "Attitude Adjustment". We would always laugh about it. We would end the nights with him telling me how much he missed me, how he loved me, and how he longed to hold me in his grasp. I always fell asleep to these comforting words and later I found out, he listened to my rhythmic breaths to lull himself to his own much needed rest.

Then came the "forsaken days". At least that's what I called them. The days when he would call me upset about a meeting he had with the creative writing team. There were days when he hoped for a push, but he would end up having to job to another wrestler. A wrestler that was supposedly better than him. The days where he had wanted a major heel turn, he got an extreme babyface push. He was always upset and frustrated about clauses in his contract that he hadn't seen that were now coming back to bite him in the ass.

I remembered when I had started to see him change. Meals became spacious and he spent his time home locked in the office from daybreak to midnight. His appearance had started to change. Frown lines creased the corners of his mouth and crow's feet dabbed the corners of his eyes. I worried about this and begged him to ask Vince for some time off. He really needed it. Instead, he would just snap and tell me how I took everything for granted. He argued about how I bitched about him not being home enough, something about me "not understanding the world of WWE". I just left him alone.

Then came our first real argument. I had a hunch that he was spending time with Samantha Speno. Sam and I weren't buddies. She was a former ring rat who had become Randy's girlfriend for about a year while he was in OVW. They had broken up about six months before I had met Randy. Randy had come through the door that night with his luggage and his cell phone glued to his ear. He was talking to Samantha. His phone line had been busy for about an hour until I got his voicemail.

I contacted John to ask if he knew when Randy's plane had landed. He informed me that his flight would have landed at one in the afternoon. I had gotten Randy's voicemail from one-thirty to when he had come walking in the door. I knew he was cheating. I just knew it.

We fought. Our voices rose at each other, things were thrown, accusations flew and finally Mia's cries simmered our anger, somewhat. Except for one thing. I knew Randy, and I knew his rage. I recalled that night like I was watching it unfold on a movie theater screen.

I glanced over at Randy's frame as his well defined chest rose with his breathing. I wanted to leave, but something was holding me. Every time I thought about leaving for good, it was like a rubber band snapping me back. I tried to bring myself to fall asleep, but I couldn't. Not with my attacker lying contently next to me. I looked down at my body and saw massive bruises. Purple-ish hand prints and raw, red marks coated my chocolate skin. All that damage had been done to me less than twelve hours ago. My insides were on fire; especially towards my abdomen. It was like I had had sex for the first time all over again. Except this time, I didn't feel the same bliss I felt when I had woken up on the morning after my wedding night. I recall realizing that I had lost my virginity to Randal Keith Orton.

I felt stirring on his side of the bed and pretending to be waking up at the time he was. His eyes blinked once, then twice and finally opened for good. I felt his bitter cobalt eyes run over me. I didn't make eye contact with him. Instead I rose from the sheets and headed for the bathroom. The walk seemed longer than usual. Each step was weighted and it felt like a chore to move. Randy's perverse staring at my unclothed, battered body wasn't helping either. I shut and locked the door as soon as I hit the tile flooring.

I feared to look at myself in the mirror. I was scared that I wouldn't be looking at myself. I would be looking at a domestic violence victim. I slowly brought myself to look in the mirror and surprisingly, didn't have a reaction. I don't think I could have had a reaction if I tried to channel one.

The woman in the mirror wasn't me. She was frowning. Her lips were parched and cracked and a dried trail of blood lined her chin. A large red bruise was right under her right eye. Tear streams lined her cheeks. She was not me. I reached out apprehensively and touched the glass. It was indeed a reflection of me.

'_Why?'_ I thought to myself. I didn't know what I had done to deserve this. I wanted my husband back. I didn't want this separation and apparently neither did he. I stepped away from the mirror and headed to the shower. I needed some release. Just, some time away from reality and I knew that a hot shower would give it to me. It wouldn't wash away the evidence of the abuse, but it would hopefully erase my memory.

**A/N: I am SOOOO not happy with this chapter. Once again, it was kind of just a filler, but I still hate it…oh well. Please review! I really hope you guys don't hate me.**


	6. The Runnels

**Avanelle "Nelly" Runnels.**

It was about two o'clock in the morning when I heard the doorbell to my home. I knew it wasn't just anyone off the street. My house was located in the mountainous part of North Carolina; Right by Lake Norman. My cabin sat atop a mountain, overlooking the lake scenery that covered the ground behind the property.

I looked over at my husband Cody, who was fast asleep. Not even a stir.

"Codes," I nudged him in a tired voice. I didn't want to wake him, because he had just come back from a long, tiring Smackdown tour. He answered with something completely unintelligible and I rolled my eyes. Wasn't the man supposed to be the one to answer the door in the middle of the night? I rose from the bed and pulled down my periwinkle tank top over my slightly exposed stomach, involuntarily shivering from the lost heat of the comforter.

I made my way out of the room and heading down the dark hallway, flicking on the foyer lamp when I got to the door. I looked out of the peephole.

"Acacia?" I whispered to myself. I could barely see her. Her form was slightly cowered and frightened. That couldn't be my sister. I immediately unlocked the door and opened it. The sight before me was unbelievable.

She was shaking violently and choking on sobs. Her tear streamed face was covered with black, purple, and red bruises. Her bright brown zealous eyes were full of hopelessness and despair. Her lips were cracked and I could see where she might have gotten cut, maybe a day or two ago. The long, full onyx hair that had made its way through our gene pool was pulled back into a messy ponytail and what was that on her neck? A fading hickey?

"…What the hell..?" I quickly ushered her inside, taking the duffel bag from her shaky hands and I locked the door behind us. I pulled her into a strong hug, trying to warm her up. Although, she was my older sister, her frame was smaller, making me feel like the elder. I shushed her, calmly. She couldn't wake Mia up, who was sound asleep in the first bedroom to the right of us. I thought about why someone would do this to her. I rested my chin on her shoulder and my eyes seemed to draw to a picture frame on the dimming fireplace's mantle. The picture with Randy and Acacia in their wedding attire. I stood on the outside of Acacia in my maid of honor's dress, and John and Cody were on Randy's other side in their best men suits.

"_Son of a bitch."_ It clicked in my head. I drew in a much needed breath and pulled Acacia off me. "You are calling the police." I demanded and I saw her pupils get much smaller. She shook her head, furiously.

"I-I can't!" She stuttered, gasping. She was having the beginnings of a panic attack. "He—He'll do something to get out of it..He'll take Mia from me!" She choked out. I shushed her again, rubbing her back in small circles. I knew Randy was capable of doing something like this. I wiped tears from her eyes and pulled her into the powder room, flicking on the light switch.

" 'Case..look at me..He can't do this and just be out there on the streets living a free life!" I handed her a couple of Kleenexes from the box on the sink and watched her try and dab away tears. Then I inspected the severity of her injuries. I was amazed. How could someone with a daughter do this to someone else's daughter? I opened the mirror cabinet and took out some first aid supplies and began treating her with the little registered nurse's knowledge that I had.

After I had finished, I left her in the bathroom to warm a heating pad. The small kitchen was dark when I had gone into the bathroom, but now it was already illuminated signaling someone was already in there. I turned the corner and saw Cody sitting on one of the countertops in blue and gray plaid boxer shorts. His cerulean eyes were outlined by dark bags and his dark hair was disheveled. He masked a slight yawn with his hand.

"Did I wake you?" I felt awful. He really needed as much rest as he could get. In about a week or so, he'd be right back on the road. He shook his head, even though I knew he was lying. I apologized anyway and took a dishcloth from the oven's handle, running it under the tap.

"Casey's here?" He asked, using one of her nicknames. I nodded and wrung the cloth out sticking it in the microwave for a minute. I hoisted myself on the counter, next to him. I didn't really want to say anything. I just waited until Acacia made her appearance from the bathroom. Cody's reaction said it all.

"Holy fu-," He began, but I cut him off by elbowing him hard in the side. He let out a groan of pain and glanced at me. His expression was one of complete confusion. "So she comes out of the bathroom looking like she just came from fighting in a UFC pay-per-view and I'm not supposed to say anything?" He questioned, incredulously, his lisp even more evident. My teeth locked together. Sometimes, Cody was too blunt. The microwave beeped and Acacia walked towards it, saying nothing.

" 'Case, I've got it." I hopped off the countertop, heading for the microwave.

"I'm not an invalid. I can do it myself." She snapped, back turned to us. I looked at Cody and he raised an eyebrow, shrugging his shoulders. I put my hands up in defense and backed away. I only watched as she took out the heating pad herself and placed it on her abdomen. I watched her wince at the sensitivity of the cloth.

"I don't think she wants to be watched," I whispered to Cody, grabbing his wrist ready to lead him out of the kitchen. His scrutiny was still on her.

"It's my house!" Cody harshly whispered back. When he didn't have the ten hours of sleep that he was supposed to have to function normally, Cody was a bitch. The "Dashing Cody Rhodes" bitch that fans got to see.

"Cody Garrett Runnels…" I muttered, staring daggers at him. He looked back at me and gave in easily. He always did. His perusal landed on Acacia one last time before fleeting down the hallway to the bedroom. Once Cody was out of earshot, I gave Acacia a sorry look for Cody's behavior and walked over to her. The air tensed. I was ready to have a serious talk with my sister. I sighed deeply before beginning.

"He raped you." I put my index finger in the air. "He beat you." Middle finger followed. "He made you bleed." Ring finger. "Okay, I don't know about you, but I think that man is looking at life behind bars?" I looked at her. She didn't make eye contact with me. Instead, she looked past me. "Acacia, do you not understand how serious this is? I'm not joking! You're being completely aloof to this whole situation and—"

"Shut up! Just shut the _fuck_ up!" She interrupted my rant, rubbing her eyes. "I know what he did to me. I never stop thinking about what he did to me. He degraded me; I know that. But I also know that I should have gone with you and Mia before he came home. It's my fault. Apparently Sam is a better wife than I could ever be because that's probably who he's plowing into right now. So, I deserve this. I took his daughter away from him and I- I just know that I deserve this." She babbled. I couldn't believe her. This was a complete load of bullshit. This was not my sister. Somewhere along the abuse, Randy must have taken Acacia's soul with him. He took her strength and determination and I detested him for that.

"I can't even look at you right now, Acacia. You did not just say that." I went over to the front door again, making sure it was locked. I picked up her duffel off the wooden floor and set it on the loveseat. "Get some sleep. We're going to talk tomorrow when you don't sound like Mom." Then I left. I knew I struck a chord.

**A/N: Two new characters! Well actually, if you paid attention in the very first chapter, Nelly was a small, yet pivotal character. So, Mr. Cody Rhodes is the only new face. Oh and yes, Randy had best **_**men..**_**So did Mickey at our wedding. Tell me what you think! By the way, sorry about bouncing between the different POV's…**


	7. Reunited

Acacia.

I woke up to the smell of Nelly brewing fresh Folgers coffee. She was making it strong, just the way I liked it. Just the way I needed it. I hadn't even realized that I had fallen asleep on the couch right by the kitchen. All I remembered was resting my head on my duffel bag and waking up with a nice, warm quilt draped over me. The improvised pillow was replaced with an actual cotton one. I looked through the light curtains that adorned the tall windows and looked at the slight rays of sun peeking out over the mountains. I sat up on the loveseat and looked into the kitchen area where Nelly was busy.

"Look whose up." Cody's voice was the first I heard. That voice that I loved to hate so much. I made eye contact with him and rolled my eyes. The clock on the microwave read eleven-thirty.

"Codes, leave her alone." Nelly came to my rescue. I got up and headed to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. Again, I inspected my bruises. They weren't as bad as they had been, but they were noticeable. I knew my daughter was here and she didn't need to see what her father had done to me. I opened the cabinet under the sink and retrieved some of Nelly's makeup supplies and thanked God that we were just about the same skin tone. I began working on covering up the bruises, then the uneven spots. I moved down to my neck where I attempted to hide the hickey. No one needed to see that.

When I had finished, I looked in the mirror once more. Good enough. I looked in the cabinet again. Nelly was always the prepared one. Unopened packages of toothbrushes, condoms, and female toiletries decorated the top shelf. I shook my head and pulled out a toothbrush.

I felt tired walking out of the bathroom. My body ached and I felt like going back to sleep. This wasn't my usual behavior.

"Mommy?" I heard a small voice behind me. By that word alone, all ties bounding me to the world were broken and I felt like crying joyous tears. I closed my eyes and turned around.

"_Mia._" I breathed out with a deep gust of relief. My little girl had her knotty, curly honey blonde ringlets of hair pulled into the always classic two braids down to her waist. She had on a white jersey polo with the number thirty on it in blue. She also wore blue soccer shorts with white knee-high socks and black cleats. I pulled her into a blissful embrace. "Oh, Mia." I pulled away kissing all over her face. I cradled her cheeks in my hands. "Baby." I said. Her blue eyes lit in elation and she grinned.

"Mommy, I missed you soooo much." She over exaggerated, eyes widening.

"I can bet that I missed you more." I smiled, forgetting any past thought that I had locked away. The only thing that mattered right then was Mia. She threw her arms around my neck again, almost tackling me to the ground. I closed my eyes and relished the intensity of her love. Lost in my moment, I didn't even realize who was behind us.

"Acacia Devar."

"John Cena." I turned around with a smile. He was the only person I knew that still called me by my maiden name. His voice still had a deep comforting resonance to it. He hadn't aged a bit. His smile triggered the youthful dimples that everyone loved so much and his eyes never ceased to shine. He pulled me in for a bone crushing hug and I inhaled and hugged , relaxing myself.

"It's so nice to see you." He said softly, into my hair. I nodded. "You, too." I said, as we parted. We looked at each other for a while, just taking in each other's appearance. It wasn't an awkward staring contest; at least it didn't feel like one.

"We've gotta catch up later, 'kay?" He looked down at me. Nod, again. That's all I could really say. He looked behind me. "Mia, you ready?" He asked her. I turned to look and her and she smiled.

"Uh-huh!" She answered enthusiastically, attaching herself to his jean-clad leg. I think she must have noticed my look of confusion. "Mommy, I'm going to soccer practice. Do you want to come?" I looked at Nelly who was sitting on the countertop, yet again. She shook her head and raised an eyebrow. She hadn't forgotten about that talk that we were supposed to have today. I didn't want to talk, to be honest. She had compared me to our mom the night before.

If I was one thing, it was not my mother. She always blamed everything on herself; on her existence.

"Um, I don't think Mom can today. She has a lot of things to finish here. Maybe tomorrow." Nelly answered in my place. John looked at me worriedly and I heaved a sigh, shaking my head. He took that as his cue to leave. Mia waved as John hoisted her on his waist and headed out of the front door. I only watched. I couldn't do anything else. As soon as Mia had appeared, she had been taken from me again.

"What?" I snapped at Cody, feeling his aqua eyes on me yet again. He put his hands up in defense and backed away.

"My bad…" He picked up his coffee mug and directed himself to the living room where he turned on the mounted plasma screen. I heard Nelly sigh. She handed me another coffee mug and watched me carefully as I took it. I brought it to my lips and let the familiar liquid satisfy me. It brought back memories. There were times when Nelly and I would go to Panera Bread just to get away from life. We forgot about life, our husbands, and our family. We only listened to each other.

"Cody and I have talked about the situation at hand…" She began quietly. I didn't get mad. There was no use. He was bound to find out sooner or later. Randy was one of his best friends and mentors. "He said that it was your choice on whether you wanted to contact the authorities or not, _but_ I still think that you should. I respect your wishes on wanting to keep this to yourself, but I still think that it's really stupid, 'Case." No. This decision wasn't stupid. Stupid is when someone tells you to jump off a cliff without restraint for a million bucks. This was sensible. This way Randy wouldn't have to get an amazing WWE provided lawyer to bail him out of domestic violence charges. I didn't say anything and I let her continue.

"Cody and I are fine with keeping Mia for as long as we need to and we're also fine with you staying here-," I didn't hear the rest of that sentence. I knew that sooner or later Randy would get tired of the freedom that he had with screwing around and he would finally come home. He wouldn't see me or Mia and he would get pissed. Then he would come after us. My mouth went dry and Nelly could tell that I wasn't listening anymore.

"I can't stay here long. Neither can Mia." I thought aloud. Nelly gave me a strange look that read 'why?'

"He's going to come after us when he gets tired of living on his own. I know him." I said to no one in particular. I stared blankly off into space.

"You see, this is why I wanted you to go to the police!" I heard her distressed voice over the pounding in my head. I didn't care what she wanted me to do. I was going to be on the run. I would have no time to settle and no time to establish a life. I would just randomly disappear. I spotted a notepad next to the telephone's answering machine and took the pen next to it. I began scribbling.

_Today's Date: Nov. 6_

_Date of est. move: Nov. 11 (Monday morning)_

"Oh God, Acacia." She began rubbing her temples. I was giving Randy at least five days to finish off his little expedition. By the time he took the three hour drive to Lake Norman, Mia and I would be gone.


	8. Safe With You

**A/N: Wasn't sure how to do this chapter, but I did it! Kudos for me! I listened to Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol to get into the mood for this chapter even though I've worked on it for a long time. So if you want mood music, listen to that! Thank you for the story alerts and reviews for the last chapter. I really appreciate it.**

John Cena.

Acacia had been at the Runnels' household for about a week. Every day it was a cycle. I would come to pick up Mia for soccer and Acacia would come along. We never really talked on the car ride there. Mia was the one who filled the void on the car ride there. She talked about everything. I really love that kid. She was Randy; a female version of Randal Keith Orton. She resembled him. Every feature that she had was his. The only thing she had of her mother was the long hair. Her personality was daring and she didn't back down from anything.

Mia always talked in our car rides. She always had something to say and I was surprised by the level of insight that I got from the six year old.

"Hey John?" Mia called from her booster seat. I looked into the rearview mirror, acknowledging her. "Did you know that wrestling is fake? Daddy told me about kayfabe." She smiled brightly, looking proud of her use of the word 'kayfabe'. I stifled a chuckle and looked over at the passenger's seat where Acacia sat quietly.

"Randy told her that?" I asked her, voice barely above a whisper. She rested her elbow on the door handle and propped herself up on her open palm. She had such strong, commanding facial features. I couldn't help but think about how lucky Randy was to have her.

"I 'unno." She shrugged. "Guess so." Her response was short, quick; to the point. That was unlike the Acacia I knew. I just let it go and responded to Mia.

"Wow, Mia. You're a really smart kid; you know that?" I asked her turning into the local high school stadium parking lot.

"No, John. I'm _intelligent_." Oh. So she's been putting her first grade vocabulary sheets to good use, making me feel stupid. I pulled into a vacant parking space. "That, you are." I answered. Acacia and Mia already had their seatbelts off as I turned off the Range Rover and undid mine as well. Acacia had been blank the whole twenty minute commute. She had twiddled the princess-cut wedding ring on her finger.

Mia hopped out of the backseat as popped the trunk. She latched on to her mother's hand and they headed towards the field as I got the picnic blanket and closed the hatchback and locked the doors to the vehicle. I followed them onto the grass behind the high school's football field where Mia's soccer team conducted practices. It was easier to bring a blanket to sit on instead of bringing bulky lawn chairs like all these other soccer moms. I caught up to the girls and handed Acacia the blanket. She took it and smiled at me. I couldn't help but smile back. Her smile was affective. She headed to an empty spot and I was about to follow her.

"Hi, John." I heard my name being called and immediately following, a nicely manicured hand appeared on my shoulder. I followed the voice to the face and sighed deeply.

"Hey, Liz." I made contact with her bright blue eyes. Elizabeth Huberdeau was one of the moms that I had come into contact with over the last two weeks. She seemed very nice, but she was somewhat strange. She had always watched Acacia and me as we talked and that made me a little uncomfortable. I should be used to being watched, but that was something that I wasn't used to. "Mia's been doing very well on this team." She smiled, watching Mia taking her position in front of the goal. The six year old caught eye contact with me and smiled widely with a wave. I couldn't help but smile back. It was rather contagious.

"She is very beautiful. I suppose that is her mother?" She referred to Acacia a few feet away from us. I nodded in confirmation. I wasn't in the mood for saying much. All I really wanted to do was grab a seat next to Acacia and enjoy practice as usual. I knew I was being fidgety. I caught myself and immediately stopped. There was an awkward silence as the girls on the field practiced. I blew out a noisy gust of air and glanced over at Acacia again, who was sitting on the blanket, eyes locked on the practice. I shifted my weight from one leg to another and smiled at Liz.

"I hate to leave you right now, but I think Acacia would like a little support. You see, Mia's my goddaughter and—,"

"Oh, say no more. Go ahead, John. I'll catch up with you later." She seemed to be understanding and rubbed my shoulder. I flinched without thought and twisted my mouth to the side, apologetically. Her face seemed plastic, as if she wanted to say something else, but couldn't. I didn't question it aloud like my brain was urging me to do, thankfully. Instead I departed and took a seat next to Acacia.

I looked down into her lap where her hands were placed. Her right hand was itching to twist her wedding band off her finger. I could see her muscles twitching. I looked back up at her face where she masked being uncomfortable with an intense look on the elementary schoolers' practice. She turned to me and her features softened.

"Hey." Was her soft initiation to converse.

I smirked as my response. Two could play the silent game. She looked deep into my eyes as if she was breaking the barrier to my soul.

"_What_ on earth are you smiling about, John?" She couldn't help but mirror my expression. "I can't help but remember the first time I actually saw that smirk. Now that I remember, I'm frightened." She laughed. I recalled the distant memory and laughed as well.

"Well, I wasn't too sober the first time you saw this smile. Randy wasn't on the other hand…"

"Yes…I seem to remember two best friends fighting for my attention although I wasn't interested." She turned her face to watch her daughter again. "You tried to pick me up with song lyrics." She mumbled.

"_I'm thinking maybe that I met you in a dream. Is it just a dream or is it my reality…_" I sung the lyrics as they came to my brain. "You know, now that I think about it, no wonder you chose Randy." I disgraced myself with a chuckle. She palmed her mouth covering the escaping giggles. "And that's the story of why you're Acacia Orton and not Acacia Cena."

Her giggles calmed and so did she. She took a deep breath as the grin disappeared from her young face.

"Yeah," She casted a glance onto the grass below us. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Did I say something?" I was immediately ready to apologize. "Um, I-I…" I began to stutter.

"No, John." She silenced me, looking up. "I've just been doing some thinking lately." I looked down at her hands and she was back to toying with her ring. I didn't want to drive her away so I said nothing. I wanted to know what she was thinking about. I wanted to get into that head of hers and find out what had been causing this character change in her. A moment of silence passed before either of us said something.

"I have a-,"

"It's the fact that-,"

We smiled at each other. "You go." I said to her. She shook her head and insisted that I went. "Well, it's a question that I've been thinking about for a while…and please tell me if I'm out of line for asking." I prefaced the question. She said nothing and I took that as my cue.

"Why aren't you with Randy right now?"

The air tensed as Acacia did so. I knew that I was out of line for asking. This was their marriage. It wasn't my place to ask that. I wished that I could take the words that were out in the open and just shove them back in. She brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. A long drawn moment passed and the atmosphere stayed apprehensive.

"I'm not ready to answer that." She hesitated.

"That's completely understandable." I was relieved that she has responded even if it wasn't the answer to my question. I was disgusted with myself because I sounded like an angst-ridden teenaged boy.

"But, I need time away from him for a while." She answered anyway. I noticed that the answer seemed carefully mapped out and slow. My brain directed me to think that it was a lie. I didn't question further. I didn't want to. I decided to ignore that subject as we began to discuss other things. She began to open up more and I felt relieved that I took her mind off whatever she was thinking about.

She placed her hand on my thigh towards the end of practice. I was a little surprised that she had done that. She hadn't touched me since after my congratulations were shared at her wedding. I turned to meet her eyes and we didn't exchange words. Instead, we just looked at each other and her emotions were transmitted to me. She looked small and delicate; scared even.

"John." She sighed, resting her head on my shoulder. "You make me feel safe." She said, almost so quietly that I couldn't hear it. I though about the phrase and questioned it.

"Safe from what?" I asked. She groaned and shushed me.

"Shut up." The harsh words came from her lips like music. "You talk too much."

**A/N: The lyrics are from the song "Just A Dream". Please review! Reviews are my writing juice. (:**


End file.
